Everton's Points Deduction Reduced: Boosting Relegation Survival Hopes

Everton's Points Deduction Reduced

The Premier League has announced that Everton's points deduction has been reduced, providing a significant boost to their hopes of avoiding relegation.

Earlier this season, Everton received a ten-point penalty for breaching the league's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs). However, an appeal against the sanction has resulted in a reduction in severity.

As a result, Everton has climbed two places in the table, now sitting above Nottingham Forest and Brentford with 25 points. They are also five points clear of Luton, who currently occupy the final relegation place.

It is worth noting that Everton could potentially face a second points deduction this season due to another breach of the Premier League's PSR rules in January.

The Premier League stated that the reduction in points deduction was due to sustaining losses above the permitted thresholds for the assessment period ending in the 2022-23 season. Everton suffered a loss of £260m over the course of two Covid-19-impacted seasons.

The Premier League's statement regarding the appeal decision stated, "An independent Appeal Board has concluded that the sanction for Everton FC's breach of the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs), for the period ending Season 2021/22, will be an immediate six-point deduction. This follows the club's appeal of an independent Commission's decision in November 2023 to impose a 10-point deduction for the club's breach of the PSRs. The appeal was heard over three days earlier this month, by an Appeal Board comprising Sir Gary Hickinbottom (Chair), Daniel Alexander KC, and Katherine Apps KC. Everton FC appealed the sanction imposed against it on nine grounds, each of which related to the sanction rather than the fact of the breach, which the club admitted. Two of those nine grounds were upheld by the Appeal Board, which has substituted the original points deduction of 10 for six. This revised sanction has immediate effect and the Premier League table will be updated today to reflect this."

It is important to note that Everton is not the only club facing penalties related to PSR rules. Nottingham Forest has also been adjudged to have broken the rules, having signed 42 players following their promotion back to the top flight in May 2022, with owner Evangelos Marinakis spending around £250m in an effort to solidify their Premier League status.